Assiguob to



S. C. McKEOWN.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. I9IB.

ll 3@5,14 @o Patented May 27, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I I Inggmgw lN VE'N TU EHML/EL C. MC KEIU N HTTURNE' S. C. IVIcKEOWN.

IGNITION SYSTEM. APPLICATION FII,ED SEPT-9.11918.

Patented May 27, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

lA/I/E/Il TOR EF/ML/EL 1:. ME KEEN/V 87 MW 21 A TTURII/E V an snares PATENT orirrca.

SAMUEL c. MoKEOWN, or nasr omen, NEW JERSEY, 'AssIGnoa T0 s'rLI'rDonr ELECTRICAL comrm, or nnwanxnnwmnsnr.

' IGNITION SYSTEM.

memes.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county: of Essex 'and State of New Jersey,

used'in connection with internal combustion engines, more particularly those used in connection with airplanes; Under some conditions of operating the plane, for example, a nose. dive, the spark plugs become fouled, due to oiland possibly other causes so that when the plane is straightened out the firing is irregular. The spark plugs may become fouled in regular operation by oilor carbon, so that irregular firing and lost power 1'selicou ntered, while the plane.

i-is in the air.

It hasjbeen found that the introduction of an auxiliary spark gap, introduced into the high tension circuit running to'the' main gaps or spark plugs,while not desirable for continuous running does serve in many cases to clear up fouled plug gaps, probably due to the fact that the auxiliary spark gap greatly reduces the secondary current so that the voltage can build up in more or less oscillatory waves to a much higher pointthan in ordinary operation, which voltage is sufiicient to produce a spark across the fouled gap and continued explosions will then many times remove the source of trouble.

It is the princlpal-object of my invention to provide'an auxiliary spark gap which can be introduced into )the high tenslon circuit at the will of the operatorof the engineon which myignition system is used. Another. object of my matic means .for returning this-au spark gap to a normal closed or operating invention is to provideautoxiliary position when its use is not desired. Another object is to provide the necessary safety devices for the generating coil under all con ditions of operation. still further object of my invention is toprovide a mechanism for accomplishing the work as previously set forth in a simple, inexpensive but rellable manner. Other and further objects will be apparent to one skilled in the art after a study of this specification taken in connec tion with the annexed drawings, wherein Figure 1 illustrates an ignitlon device of Specification of Letters latent.

SAMUEL MoKEown,

end plate the gap between as p the principles of my invention,

cover plates being partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional and part plan view on the line 2.2' of Fig. -1.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2, but with certaipparts moved in a different position. 1g.

4 is an end view of the generating coil shown in Fig. 1 with one of the heads removed.

. Fig. 5 is an ber shown on Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring now to the details, wherein like end view of the socket memthe left hand cover plate of numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 is an ignition generator of the magneto type having magnets 2 and 3 and the distributer block 1 mounted on the 5-. The magneto shown isof the.

Dixie type having relatively stationary field poles 6, one ofv which is shown in Fig. 1. Fastened ,to'the fieldpole 6 by yokes 11 is a coil structure 8, having heads 9 and 10 between which and around the core 7 the usual primary bled.

insulator 15, passing through the magnets 2 and secondary windings are assem-v Between the heads 9 and 10 on one side is a high tension terminal block '11, finger contact 12 on H Patented May 2%, 1919. 7 Application filed September 9, 1918. Serial No. 253,252.

' 4 the magneto type, to which Lhave appliedone of theand 3 into the interior of the distributer block 4 where the current is distributed to the various distributer contacts in the usual way. Onlyone cable 16 is shownrunning from the block to a spark gap 17 which may be taken to illustrate a spark plug in an engine cylinder. The block 11 also carries a main safety gap electrode 18 and an auxiliary spark gap contact 19. A ound electrode-20 is carried on the coil head 9 so that 18 and 20 form, what I term, the main safety gap, M. S. G.-

' On the opposite side of the coil structure from block 11, the block 21 is fastened to the "heads 9 and 10. The block 21 carries anauxiliary safety gap plate 22 to which the outer end of the high tension winding is connected as at 23. 1he coil 'heads 9 and 10 also carry a member 24, which, in the form shown, is rectangular in shape and which is adapted to slide freely through suitable openings in the heads. Member 24: carries a plate 25, which 1 term an auxiliary which is preferably slotted at 26 to produce a resilient finger 27 normally held in engagement with contact '19. Member 24 also carries a resilient device such .as

.a spring 28, the bottom of which rests on which is preferably of insulating material,

has an insert 30 set therein. A transverse hole 31 and a slot 32 passes throughboth member 24 and the insert 30 to securely hold in position a ball 33 that is securely fastened to a Bowden wire cable 34, which is incased in a flexible protecting tubing 35. The socket member 36 is fastened to the side cover 37 in a suitable manner, as by screws 38." Socket 36 carries a cup shaped member 39, which with the socket 36 supports a resilient member 40. The cable 34 with its protecting sheath 35 extends to within reach of the operator or pilot of the airplane, who by means of a suitable handle can apply pulling force to the cable 34 at will.

When it is desired to introduce the auxiliary spark gap which I designate as A. S. G. a pull applied to, cable 34, which from the description heretofore given, causes finger 27 to leave the contact 19, introducing the A. S.

G. into the high tension circuit. After the A. S. G. is started into operation the strain on the high tension winding of the generating coil might become so severe as to break it down, since the combined distance of the A. S. G. and the main safety gap, which I designated M. S. G., is much greater than M. S. G. alone. I therefore preferably con- .struct the auxiliary-spark gap plate 25 so, that predetermined gaps of diflerent lengthsv are obtained by means of the serrations 42.

When the plate 25 has been moved to the extreme position to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, the A. S. G. is preferably 5 mm. on the machine shown; the M. S. G. usually about 9% mm., which gives a total gap of 14% mm. on the high tension winding, should one of the spark plug wires fall off. I, therefore, consider it advisable, although not absolutely necessary, to substitute for the M. S. G. an

. auxiliary safety gap which I designate A. S.

of approximately 12 mm. which will both 1 protect the high tension coil winding as well as to allow for the increased potential to act in the manner heretofore described. It will be apparent that when the operator ceases to pull on the cable 34 that the spring 40 which has been compressed as shown in Fig. 3, will return automatically, the member 24 E ithQplate 25 to a normal position shown in 1g. While I have shown and described the application of my invention to a magneto of the Dixie type, it willbe apparent that the same may be applied to other types of magan auxiliary spark netos as well as to a battery ignition system, and I, therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention what i I claim is 1. In an ignition system, a high tension circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel and a second spark gap in said circuit for adding to the effectiveness of the sparking at the first mentioned gap, said second spark gap being automatically held in normal closed position but constructed and arranged to be introduced when desired.

2. In an ignition system, a high tension circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel and a second spark gap in said mallyshort circuited by a .member constructed and arranged to be moved so as to introduce at will predetermined gaps of different lengths as desired.

4. In an ignition system, a high tension I circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel and a second spark gap in said circuit for adding to the effectiveness of the spark at the first gap'when the same is fouled, said second spark gap being normally short circuited by a member constructed and arranged to be manually moved so as to introduce said gap at will, and means for automatically restoring the short circuit around the second gap when the manual force is removed.

5. In an ignition system a high tension circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel and a second spark gap in said circuit for adding to the effectiveness of the spark at the first gap when the same is fouled, said second spark gap being normallyshort circuited by a member constructed and arranged to be manually moved so as to introducesaid gap at will, means for automatically restoring the short circuit around the second gap when the manual force is removed, a main safety gap for the said circuit and an auxiliary safety gap therefor brought into operative condition by the introduction of said second spark 6. In an ignition system, a generating coil having a high tension winding connected in circuit with a mam spark gap for firing fuel, a main safety gap, an auxiliary safety gap for said winding,

gap and manually operable means for introducing the auxiliary spark gap into the high tension circuit and substituting the auxiliary safety gap for the main safety gap as described. I

7. In an ignition system, a generating coil structure having a high tension winding connected in circuit with a main spark gap for firing fuel, a main safety gap for the the high tension winding and manually operable means connected to said member for moving the same to introduce said auxiliary spark gap into circuit with the main spark gap and to substitute the auxiliary safety gap for the main safety gap.

9. In an ignition system, a generating coil structure having a high tension winding connected in circuit with a main spark gap for firing fuel, a main safety gap for the high tension winding carried in a relatively fixed position on the coil structure, a movable member carried by the coil structure, an auxiliary spark gap plate carried on the movable member permanently connected into the high tension circuit but normally closing the auxiliary spark gap, manually controlled means for operating the movable member to introduce the auxiliary spark gap and means for restoring the movable member and plate to normal position when the auxiliary spark gap is no longer desired.

10. In an ignition system, a generating coil structure having a high tension winding connected in circuit with a main spark gap for firing fuel, a housing for said coil structure; said coil structure carrying the following instrumentalities: a high tension terminal'block having a distributingfinger contact, a main safety gap electrode and an auxiliary spark gap contact, a ground electrode for the main safety gap, an auxiliary safety gap plate connected to the high tension winding; a movable member carrying an auxiliary spark'gap plate with connecting means between the auxiliary safety gap plate and said spark gap plate; and means fastened to a part of the said housing for holding said movable member in such a position that the auxiliary spark gap plate is normally in contact with the auxiliary spark gap contact, said means being operable to move the movable member and spark gap plate to introduce an auxiliary spark gap in the high tension circuit and substitute an auxiliary safety gap for the main safety gap for the purpose described.

11. In an ignition system, a generating coil structure having a high tension winding connected in circuit with a main spark gap for firing fuel, and mechanism carried by said coil structure for introducing an auxiliary spark gap into circuit with the main spark gap, for the purpose described.

12. In an ignition system, a generating coil structure having a high tension winding connected in circuit with a main spark gap for firing fuel, and mechanism carried by said coil structure for introducing predetermined gaps of diflterent lengths into circuit with the main spark gap.

13. In an ignition system, a high tension circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel and means for introducing an auxiliary spark gap into the high tension circuit at a point closely adjacent the origin of the high tension current for the purpose described.

' 14. In an ignition system, a high tension circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel, a main safety gap for said circuit and means for introducing an auxiliary spark gap into the high tension circuit and substituting an auxiliary safety gap for the main safety gap at a point closely adjacent the origin of the high tension current for the purpose described.

15. In an ignition system, a high tension circuit having a main spark gap therein for firing fuel, manually operable means for introducing an auxiliary spark gap into said circuit at a point closely adjacent the origin of the high tension current and automatic means for closing the auxiliary spark gap when the manual force is removed.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL O. MCKEOVVN. 

